Expression mechanism for automatic musical instruments



0'. F. STODDARD. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS APPLICATION FILED APILZY, 1920. 1,409,484.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

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CHARLES BTODDARD, OF NEW YORK, N. L, ASSIGNOR '16 AMERICAN EIANO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

- EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL} INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Lettcrs Patent. Pate ted lu 14 1922 Application filed April 27 1920. Serial No. 376,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. STODDARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Expression Mechanism for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically varying playing intensities in automatic musical instruments, such, for instance, as player pianos and the like; the present application being a continuation in art of an earlier application filed by me iiiay 25,1914, Serial Number 840,869, renewed October 16, 1919,- Serial Number Among other objects, the invention is intendedto provide apparatus capable of producing prompt changes in playing intensity while maintaining intensities so far as may be desired, regardless of the number of tones sounded. t

The character of the invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows diagram matically one illustrative embodiment.

In the drawings a bellows 1 exemplifies a source of power for operating the striker or playing pneumatics 2 which may be operated selectively, as well understood by "those skilled in the art, from a tracker board 3 through ducts 4. The action chest 5 of the player pneumatics is connected by a duct 6 and a passage 7 with the source of power 1. A valve 8 controls the passage 7 to regulate and vary the extent to which the pressure at the action chest 5 is subjected to the high tension or exhaust ofthe source 1. In other words, the valve 8 regulates and varies the flow of air from the action chest to the source of power.

A regulator bellows 9 is connected by a port 10with the passage 7, the movable board 11 of the regulator bellows 9 bein connected with the valve 8 by an arm 12. spring 13 governs the operation of the regulator bellows 9, being connected to its movable board at one end and at the other end to apparatus presentlyto be described.

To provide for modifying the regulation andthereby producing variation in playing intensity the spring 13 is connected to a bar 14 which has operative connection with the movable boards of two expression bellows; for illustration a crescendo'and diminuendo bellows 15 and a step change bellows 16.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that when the bellows 15 and 16 are expanded the spring 13 is sufliciently tensioned to produce that regulation by the bellows 9 wh1ch 1s appropriate to the softest playing intensity desired. When either one or both of the bellows 15 and 16 is or are collapsed fully or partially, the tension of the spring 13 is increased thereby modifying the regulatlon by the bellows 9 and increasing the loudness of playing.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide for producing crescendos or dimlnuendos and at the same time producing changes in playing intensity by substantially distlnct steps so that, for instance, during a gradual crescendo a selected note or notes or chord may be accented above the degree of loudness which would otherwise be determined by the position of such notes or chords in the crescendo; or for fuller illustration, so that the loudness of a note or notes or chord may be reduced below that which they would have in a prevailing crescendo or d1- minuendo.

These purposes are served by the illustrative mechanism which comprises the crescendo bellows 15 and a step bellows 16 which may be operated together or separately to combine crescendos and diminuendos with step changes or to produce the crescendos and diminuendos alone or the step changes alone.

The crescendo bellows 15 is arranged to be exhausted through either one of two ducts 4 17 or 18. The duct 17 is of large capacity as compared with the duct 18 and is sufficiently restricted to collapse the bellows 15 gradually but at a relatively high speed. The duct 18 is of such capacity that when the bellows 15 is exhausted therethrough, the collapse of the bellows is gradual and at a slower speed than when exhausted through the duct 17.

Thus when the crescendo bellows 15 is exhausted through the duct 17 the tension of the spring 13 is gradually increased so as to modify graduall the regulation by the bellows 7 and pro uce a gradual crescendo at relatively high speed; and in like manner when the bellows 15 is exhausted through the duct 18 a relatively slow crescendo is produced.

The step bellows 16 is arran d to be exhausted through a duct 19 which is of such capacity that the bellows may be collapsed approximately instantaneously. Thus when the bellows 16 is exhausted and entirely collapsed the spring 13 has its tension practically instantaneously increased to a considerable degree to produce a sudden accentin effect in playing intensity. When the bellows 16 is wholly collapsed the accenting effect will be at-the maximum. To provide for a more moderate accenting effect a stop bellows 20 is provided, arranged to be exhausted through a duct 21 and carrymg a stop 22 arranged to be interposed in the path ful of a stop 23 on a. movable board of the bellows 16 as the latter is collapsed. When the bellows 20 is collapsed the stop 23 arrests the collapsing movement of the bellows 16 at some intermediate stage, for instance, m1dwa between the fully expanded and the collapsed position of the bellows 16. ence when the bellows 20 is collapsed and then the bellows 16 collapsed, the latter is permitted only a partial collapse produce a moderate increase in the tension of the spring 13 and a corresponding moderate accent in playing intensity. I

To permit a rapid expansion of the bellows 16 the lattermay be provided with a port 24 to atmosphere, said port being controlled by a valve 25 arranged to be opened and closed by an auxilia bellows 26 which is provided with a duct 2 through which it ma be exhausted.

s will appear to those skilled in the art the operation of the bellows 15 and 16 or their equivalents may be variously combined or related so as to produce a wide variety of crescendo and step changes in playing intensities.

The various ducts, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 27 may be controlled in any practicable manner as for instance by rimary valves operated from the tracker. or thesepurposes such automatic expression actions as those shown in Letters Patent Number 1,008,291 to W elte and Bockisch may be employed with appropriate modification as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

' The accompanying drawings show certain parts of the automatic actions'described in the above mentioned patent and reference may be made thereto for a detailed description of the structure and operation of the valve mechanisms herein shown. A wind chest 50 communicates with the passage 7 through a duct 51 which enters the passa e 7 between the regulator valve 8 and t e source of power 1. A series of diaphragm chambers 52 to 59, located below the wind trunk 50, are rovided with suitable diaphragms and a ove these diaphragm chain bers are corresponding valve chambers 60 to 67 in which are mounted duplex valves. Each of these chambers 60-67 has a port 'openin to the wind trunk 50 and to atmosvalve chamber 60; duct 21 to the valve chamber 63; duct 17 to the valve chamber 65 and duct 18 to the valve chamber 67. Above valve chambers 61, 63, 65 and 67 are mounted diaphragm chambers 70, 71, 72 and 73 respectively, each provided with a suitable diaphragm connected to the .valves of chambers 61, 63, 65 and 67. Ducts 75, 76, 77 and 78 lead respectively from valve chambers 61, 63, 65 and 67 to the upper sides of the diaphragms in chambers 70, 71, 72 and 73 while ducts 80, 81, 82 and 83 lead respectively from valve chambers 60, 62, 64 and 66 to the under side of the diaphragms in chambers 70, 71, 72 and 73. Tracker ducts 90 to 97 lead from corresponding vents in the tracker board 3 to the under side of the diaphragms in diaphragm chambers 52 to 59 res ectively.

The automatic operation 0 the above described valve mechanism may be .accomplished by means of perforations near the edge of the note sheet. This operation is fully explained in the above mentioned patent, and reference may be had thereto for a full descri tion of sald operation. Briefl however, t e opening of vent 91 results in raising the valve in chamber 61 and connects duct 19 with high exhaust thereby practically instantaneously exhausting and consequentl collapsing the step change bellows 16. hus raising the valve in chamber 61 places the upper side of the diaphragm in chamber in communication with high exhaust through the duct and thereafter the closingof tracker vent 91 will have no effect to lower the valve in chamber 61. If thereafter, tracker vent 90 is o ened the valve in chamber 60 will place not 27 in communication with high exhaust, thus collapsing bellows 26 and opening the ste change bellows 16 to atmosphere throng the port 24, and also, throughduct 80, high exhaust will be admitted to the under side of the diaphragm in the chamber 70 and thus permitting valve 61 to drop, thereby closing the pamge from the exhaust trunk 50 to the valve chamber 61.

The opening of tracker vent 93 will result in the raising of the valve in chamber 63 thereby collapsing the stop bellows 20. As previously described in connection with the valve in chamber 61,the valve in chamber 63 will remain in raised position during and after the opening of tracker vent 93 until tracker vent 92 is opened to operate the valve in chamber 62 and lower the valve in chamber 63 which in turn will admit atmosphere to bellows 20 and permit it to expand.

The opening of tracker vent 95 will raise,

expand at a relatively high speed. The opening of tracker vent 97 will raise the valve in chamber 67 and initiate a relatively slow collapse of the crescendo bellows 15 by exhausting the same through duct 18. This operation will continue regardless of the closing of duct 97 until the bellows 15 is fully collapsed or until tracker vent 96 is opened to cancel the crescendo operation through the agency of the valve in chamber 66 whereupon a gradual expansion of the crescendo bellows 15 will take place, atmosphere being admitted thereto through the duct 18.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the illustrative apparatus herein de-. scribed may be controlled in a great variety of ways and that the resultant eflect of various operations of the expression bellows 15 and 16 will be communicated through the bar to which they are connected to the spring 13, thereby varying its tension and modifying the character-of the regulation and the playing intensities dependent thereon. For example, the crescendo bellows may be collapsed or expanded slowly or more rapidly. It may be partially collapsed or expanded at one speed and the collapse or expansion may be completed at another speed. The step change bellows may be operated entirely independently of the crescendo bellows and may be collapsed partly or wholly or expanded partly or wholly. Thus the illus-,

trative embodiment of the invention here shown may be operated in widely varying manners to produce a great variety of effects upon playingintensities which may be obtained individually or in combination.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular construction and mode of operation shown in the drawings and described above for illustration. On the contrary the invention may be variously embodied and the particular construction may be variously modified within the scope of the subjoined claims. It is not indispensable that all the features of invention be used conjointl since in some instances they may be used to advantage separately.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said pneumatics; automatically operable expression devices for varying playing intensities; a regulator having a valve between the source of power and the playing pneumatics; yielding means for transmitting the action of said expression devices to the regulator, whereby said expression devices may be operated conjointly or independently of each other.v

2. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said playin pneumatlcs; a crescendo bellows for causing progressional changes in playing intensities; :1- step bellows for causing incremental changes in playing intensities; a regulator bellows;

a valve between said source of power and said playing pneumatics; connections from said valve to the regulator bellows; and yielding means connecting said crescendo bellows and step bellows with the regulating bellows.

3. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said playing pneumatics; a crescendo bellows having ducts of different capacities for operating the crescendo bellows gradually at different speeds; a separate step bellows having means for operating the same substantially instantaneous and to difierent extents to produce various distinct steps of change in playing intensities; a valve between said source of power and said playing pneumatics; a regulator bellows controlling said valve; and spring means operatively connecting the crescendo bellows and step bellows with said valve.

l. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said playing pneumatics; a crescendo bellows having ducts of different capacities for operating the crescendo bellows gradually at different speeds; a separate step bellows having means for operating the same substantially instantaneous and to different extents to produce various distinct steps of change in playing intensities; a valve between said source of power and said playing pneumatics; a regulator bellows controlling said valve; and a spring interposed between said crescendo bellows and step bellows, and the regulating bellows, for modifying the regulation of the latter by the action of the crescendo and step bellows.

5. In a musical instrument, the combination of player pneumatics; a source of power for operating said pneumatics; a regulator having operative connection with a valve between the source ofpower and the playing pneumatics; two expression devices having yielding connection with said regulator; means to operate either one of said expression devices independently of the other to produce expression changes ofdifferent character or to operate said expression devices conjointly.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination of player pneumatics; a source of power for operating said pneumatics; a regulator having operative connection wlth a valve between the source of power and the playingpneumatics; two expression devices both having yielding connection with said regulator; and means to operate one of said expression devices independently of the other to vary playing intensities in one characteristic manner, to operate the other said expression device independently of the former to vary playing intensities in another characteristic manner, or to operate said expression devices together to combine the characteristic variatlons of playing intensities produced by the independent operation of said expression devices.

7. In a musical instrument, the comb1nation of player pneumatics; a source of power for operating said pneumatics; a regulator having operative connection with a valve between the source of power and the playing pneumatics; two expression devices both having yielding connection with sa1d regulator; and means to operate one of sald expression devices independently of the other to vary. playing intensities by substantially distinct morements, to operate the other expression device independently of the former to vary play-ing intensities by substan'tlally continuous progression, or to operate said ex'prewion devices conjointly to vary playing intensities by the resultant of the combination of said two effects. I

8. In a musical instrument, the combination of player pneumatics; a source of power for operating said pneumatics; a regulator having operative connection with a valve between the source of power and the playing pneumatics; a crescendo pneumatic for modifying the action of said regulator bellows to produce progressional changes in playing intensities; a step pneumatic for modifying the action of said regulator to produce incremental changes in playing in tensities; and means yieldingly connecting both said expression pneumatics with said regulating bellows whereby said pneumatics may be operated independently to modify the regulation by said regulating bellows to produce intensity variations of different characteristics or may be operated conjointly to produce intensity variations characterized by the resultant of the combination of said different characteristics.

9. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said playing pneumatics; a crescendo bellows for causing progressional changes inplaying intensities; a step bellows for causing incremental changes in playing intensities; a valve between said source of power and said playing pneumatics; a regulator bellows having operative connection with said valve; connections from said valve to the regulator bellows; connecting and transmission means one of which is resilient, between the crescendo and step bellows, and 'the regulator valve 'for transmitting the action of the said two bellows to the regulator valve to modify the operative efi'ect thereof.

10. In a musical instrument, the combination of playing pneumatics; a source of power for operating said playing pneumatics; a crescendo bellows for causing progressional changes in playing intensities; a step bellows for causing incremental changes in playing intensities; a valve between said source of power and said playing pneumatics; a regulator bellows haviing operative connection with said valve; connections from saidvalve to the re ulator, bellows; connecting means between t e crescendo bellows and step bellows; and resilient transmission means between said connecting means and the regulator valve for transmittin the action of the cresoenldo .and step be lows to the re ulator valve to modify the operative effect thereof.

11. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source ofpower, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two interconnected expression'varying pneumatics, and resilient means connecting said expression varying pneumatics with said va ve.

12. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, and two independently operable expression varying pneumatics having resilient connection with said valve.

13. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprisinga valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, and two interconnected independently operable expression varying pneumatics each having resilient comiection with said valve.

14. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two expression varying pneumatics, a bar pivotally connected to both said pneumatics, and a spring connecting said bar and said valve.

15. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, a spring for tensioning said regulating pneumatic, and independently operable expression varying pneumatics connected to said spring.

16. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two interconnected expression varying pneumatics, resilient means connectingsaid expression varying pneumatics with said valve, a tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varying pneumatics.

17. Expression governing mechanism for l automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two independently operable expression-varying pneumatics having resilient connection with said valve, a tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varying pneumatics.

18. Expression overning mechanism for automatic musical lnstruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two interconnected independently operable expression varying pneumatics each having resilient connection with said valve, a tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varying pneumatics.

19. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the fiow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, two expression varying pneumatics, a bar pivotally connected to both said pneumatics, a

spring connectingsaid bar and said valve, a

tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varying pneumatics.

20. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve-controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, a spring for tensioning said regulating pneumatic, independently -operable expression varying pneumatics connected to said spring, a tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varying pneumatics.

21. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an action chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, means to tension said regulating pneumatic, and a plurality of independently operable expression varying means acting upon said tensioning means and operable therethrough to vary the action of said valve.

22. Expression governing mechanism for automatic musical instruments comprising a valve controlling the flow of air from an ac tion chest to a source of power, a regulating pneumatic connected to said valve, means to tension said regulating pneumatic, a plurality of independently operable expression varying means acting upon said tensioning means and operable therethrough to vary the action of said 'valve, a tracker, and tracker controlled means for operating said expression varyin pneumatics.

In testimony w ereof, I have signed my name tothis specification this 26th day of April, 1920.

CHARLES F. STODDARD. 

